Coconut Curry Lentil Stew

This is a quick-to-prepare, delicious-to-eat, one-pot lentil stew. Because it contains a can of full-fat coconut milk, it’s hearty and filling and doesn’t need to be served with much of anything. Here I added some garden chives and they were a welcome addition of green, herby flavor.

The stew itself is a great recipe to have in your mental archives because it’s comprised of pantry staples (lentils, diced tomatoes, coconut milk, curry powder) and storage vegetables (onion, garlic, ginger, carrots) and because of this I find myself throwing it together often.

Lentils are one of my favorite foods for breakfast, lunch or dinner. They’re high in both fiber and protein, making them ideal for simple, one-pot meals that fill you up and keep you going. Lentils are also high in B-vitamins, magnesium, zinc, iron and potassium.

My whole family has enjoyed this stew from Day 1. I think maybe it’s the classic combination of coconut milk and curry, but whatever the reason, this stew has quickly become a regular rotation meal. Other legume-centric favorites from the recipe archives include Moroccan Chickpea Stew, Moroccan Lentil Soup and Quick Taco Beans.

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Coconut Curry Lentil Stew

Notes: If you’re avoiding gluten, be sure to pick through your lentils and take out any gluten grains that may be hiding in there. I pour 1/2 cup at a time onto a large white plate, making it easy to sift through and see everything. Every once in a while a little pebble may be hiding in there as well. Also, I’m writing this recipe for a pressure cooker, but if you don’t have one you can easily make the stew in a stock pot on the stove. After you add the lentils, coconut milk and water, bring everything to a boil, then cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 35-40 minutes until the lentils are tender. Finally, I specifically call for French green lentils here because, unlike many other varieties, these lentils hold their shape with cooking. Puy lentils are a sub-category of French green lentils and therefore also fine to use. Leftovers can be thinned with a bit of water before serving.

Special equipment:
Instant Pot or other pressure cooker

1 1/2 cups French green lentils, picked over and rinsed (see note)
Good glug of olive oil (coconut oil can also be used here)
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 medium / large cloves of garlic, finely chopped
3 medium / large carrots, diced
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
2 tablespoons curry powder
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes (the whole can / do not drain)
15 oz can full-fat coconut milk (I like Native Forest brand)
1 3/4 cups water
Sea salt to taste, usually 1 - 1 1/2 teaspoons

Turn your Instant Pot to the sauté function and pour in a good plug of olive oil. Add the onion and sauté for a few minutes. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant, then add the carrots and sauté for a few minutes more. When the vegetables have softened a bit, add the freshly grated ginger and the curry powder. Stir well for a few moments, then pour in the can of diced tomatoes. The acid from the tomatoes will do a great job of unsticking anything from the bottom of the pan.

Add the lentils, coconut milk and water to the pot. Give everything a good stir and secure the lid. Cancel the sauté function, turn the knob on top to the “sealing” position, cook on high pressure for 13 minutes and let the pressure release naturally.

Once it’s safe to do so, open the lid and season the stew with sea salt to taste.

Serves 4-6

Red Lentil Soup with Lemon, Coconut & Cilantro

This soup is way more than the sum of its parts. The lemon, cilantro and coconut come together to make a Thai-inspired soup that is filling in a very light and satisfying way. Lentils are my favorite and most utilized vegetarian protein and I cannot say enough good things about them. They are high in both fiber and protein, as well as iron. For a very simple complete meal you could serve this soup with some avocado toast - sprinkle the avocado with sea salt and garlic granules.

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Red Lentil Soup with Lemon, Coconut & Cilantro

Notes: Use all orange (as opposed to rainbow) carrots in this recipe for visual appeal. In the same vein, use the traditional white (as opposed to purple) cauliflower. You can swap out yellow squash for the cauliflower as well. Traditional green zucchini gives it more of a muddled look, though. Also, I use lemon here because I always have lemon around, but lime would be great, too. You would probably need more limes as most limes tend to be less juicy than lemons. As always, don’t forget to go through your lentils and remove any pebbles or wheat berries that may be lurking in there!

2 tablespoons virgin coconut oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
6 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 medium / large carrots, cut in half the long way, then sliced
1/2 head of cauliflower, chopped into relatively small pieces to match the carrots
2 cups red lentils, picked over and rinsed
7 cups water
1/2 can coconut milk
Juice of 1-2 lemons, depending on juiciness / taste
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
Sea salt to taste (usually 2-3 teaspoons)

To serve:
More chopped cilantro, if desired
Sriracha-style hot sauce is fantastic with this soup

Heat the coconut oil in a large stock pot over medium heat and add the onion. Sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and sauté a couple minutes more, still stirring so the garlic doesn’t burn. Next add the carrots and cauliflower and sweat all the vegetables for a few minutes more, adding a bit more coconut oil if the pot looks dry. Pour in the lentils and water, turn the heat to high, and bring everything to a gentle boil. Turn the heat down to medium or medium-low (just enough to keep a visible simmer), and simmer for 20-25 minutes, until the lentils lose their structure.

Add the coconut milk, lemon, salt and cilantro to finish. Taste and adjust lemon and/or salt as necessary.

Serve with extra cilantro if you like, and hot sauce on the side.

Serves 6-8

Moroccan Lentil Soup

This is one of my favorite soups. It’s easy to put together, it tastes like more than the sum of its parts, and it’s super healthy. If I have homemade bone broth, I’ll use some in this soup for an added nutrient boost. Sometimes I use half bone broth and half water. The rest of the time I use 100% water and that’s delicious as well.

Lentils are amazing. High in both fiber and protein, they’re a wonderful meat alternative and they also nourish our microbiota and help balance blood sugar. They are high in B-vitamins, iron, zinc, magnesium and potassium, among other things.

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Moroccan Lentil Soup
Adapted from the Moroccan Lentil and Cabbage Soup in the Nourishing Meals cookbook by Alissa Segersten & Tom Malterre (one of my favorites!)

Notes: If gluten is a problem for you, then be sure to pick through your lentils to remove any wheat berries. Every once in a while I will find a little pebble in there too. Don’t forget to rinse afterwards. The cabbage may seem like a lot, but it cooks down. It gives everything more of a stew consistency. If you don’t have it, you can definitely go without and it will still be wonderful.

Recipe updated 1/1/2023

Good plug of olive oil
2 cups French green lentils, picked over and rinsed
1 medium / large yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
4 celery stalks, thinly sliced
3 large or 4-5 small / medium carrots, diced
4 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
10 cups bone broth, vegetable broth or water (or combination)
1 medium head savoy cabbage, shredded
Sea salt to taste

To serve:
Avocado, sliced or mashed with a bit of sea salt
Chopped cilantro
Or nothing… it’s perfect on its own!

Pour a glug of olive oil into a large stockpot over medium heat and add the onion. Sauté for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and sauté for a minute more, then add the celery and carrots and let it all cook and soften for a few more minutes.

Next come the spices - add them to the pot and stir. Quickly drop in the lentils and the broth/water and bring the pot to high heat.

Once the soup comes to a gentle boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for about 40 minutes, until the lentils are tender.

Shred the cabbage towards the end of the cooking time. When the lentils are done cooking, leave the heat on for a bit longer while you add the cabbage and let it soften in the stew. Salt to taste and enjoy!

Serves 8-10